Drone Incident in Leipzig: Ukrainian Aircraft May Have Been Carrying Ammunition

A Ukrainian cargo plane, near which an explosive-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig/Halle airport, was loaded with military ammunition. This was reported by WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing a confidential police report.

According to journalists, the ammunition had been delivered from France to Leipzig shortly before the incident for further transport. The drone was located between two cargo aircraft of the Ukrainian state airline Antonov Airlines.

Airport workers noticed the drone around 11:42 p.m. According to surveillance camera footage, it could have entered the airport grounds as early as 7:28 p.m., after which it landed on the apron. A few hours later, the device was again seen at a low altitude between the Ukrainian aircraft.

A package of explosives roughly the size of a fist was attached to the drone. Experts suspect it may have been Semtex - a plastic explosive used in military and industrial sectors. Specialists from the Saxony State Criminal Police Office removed the detonator and neutralized the device.

The airport's counter-drone system did not detect the unmanned aerial vehicle. Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt spoke of a "new level of danger" and a possible hybrid attack scenario. According to him, investigators do not rule out the involvement of a foreign state, but it is too early to name a specific country.

After the drone was sighted, flights at the airport were temporarily suspended. A DHL cargo plane that was on approach was forced to gain altitude and subsequently collided with an unidentified object. Investigators are examining whether it could have been another drone.

Leipzig/Halle Airport is an important European hub for cargo and military logistics. It is used for NATO transports, and since the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines has used it for cargo shipments.

Who launched the explosive-laden drone and what its target was has not yet been determined by the investigation.

Based on materials: Tagesschau